European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 30, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                ,.  s4s Mart Kink it coming West to learn about scouting standing from left Monika Rakowska Poland Marjeta Wren Slovenia Greta growels Slovenia Anna Gaal Hungary Loana Cretoiu Romania and seated Emese Sarkady Hungary. Girl routing rises with communism s fall by Mark Kinkade staff writer Nna Gaal a 25-year-old hungarian student does t have to hide her organization membership like her father did when her country was a puppet state of the soviet Union. Gaal is a girl scout. Actually she s a girl guide Leader the hungarian equivalent of the girls organization. And she s one of the leaders of a movement to resurrect girl scouting in her country. The old people know what the movement Means Gaal said during a lunch break saturday at the North Atlantic girl scouts annual training conference in Beeheim Germany. Scouting is a Way to restore values to the girls values we lost under  Gaal was one of nine girl guide leaders ranging in Ages from 22 to 43, from former soviet bloc countries gathered at the four Day conference to discover the latest teachings techniques and ideas in the girl scout program. The fact that they were Able to talk about the girl scouts openly was a major change for Many of the women. Only six years ago Gaal a father was a member of a secret boy scout troop. Girl scouts and boy scouts were flourishing in some countries prior to world War ii Gaal said. Then communism took hold and the Iron curtain fell Over much of Europe. As Hungary and other countries were plunged into social darkness scouting went underground she said. Her father and his fellow boy scout troop members took to meeting in secret and finally changed the name of their troop to a hiking company Gaal said. The Day he was Able to show his troop Flag was a Happy Day for my father Gaal said smiling at the thought. He was finally Able to say he was a  scouts were replaced in Many countries in 1948 with pioneers a kind f political indoctrination organization for children said routing is a Way to restore values to the girls values we lost under communism. Anna Gaal. Hungarian Girt guides slovenian girl guide Greta growels. The people did t know much then growels said. The russians they started the organization. It was All about  with the pioneers came the homogenization of the european culture. Gone were National loyalties growels said. Instead pioneers were taught that the state in the form of the soviet Union was supreme. The pioneers did t have to Leam to be hungarians Gaal said. They Learned to be Good  the collapse of the soviet Union May have brought Freedom to their countries but it also left Many women and girls throughput Eastern Europe looking for guidance growels said. To fill the vacuum girl scouts took Root in the Forjin of the girl guides. To help the girls in their countries the nine girl guide leaders travelled to Beeheim for ideas and help. The four Day seminar was filled with a variety of courses designed to teach the approximately 220 girl scout volunteers from Europe How to help today s Young women. For example the women could take morning courses in making camping equipment from tree limbs and ropes then sign up for a management theories course in the afternoon. Folk arts and dancing shared the schedule with techniques in suicide prevention discussing teen pregnancy and facing family crisis. Caal like Many of the women from Eastern Europe became a girl guide Leader As soon As she volunteered to help in Hungary. The wide Range of classes at the convention helped her catch up to her More experienced Western counterparts. I came for the ideas and the practical things Gaal said. We Don t have much experience. I became a Leader straight away and i need this information to take Back to the  Monika Rakowska a 19-year-old polish girl guide hoped she would learn ways to raise her girls self esteem and Start a new lifestyle. I want to teach the children to be a Friend to each othe Rakowska said. It is most urgent that we teach them How to be real  closer look . Scouts squeezed by military draw Down while one door of Opportunity is opening in Eastern Europe Tor do scouts another is slowly closing in countries where american forces Are drawing Down. Since 1990, girl scout membership among americans stationed with . Forces in Europe has dropped said Virginia Senia Geniv North Atlantic girl scouts Deputy director. Like everyone else the draw Down has had an Impact on our programs Seninger said during the girl scouts annual training conference in Beeheim Germany. Where we really feel the sting is in our staffing Seninger said volunteers leaders administrative support it s All  in 1990, the North Atlantic chapter boasted a membership of More than 14,000 girls and about 5,000 adult volunteers she said. Most of the members were children and spouses of . Service members in Europe. Since then the membership has dropped to just Over 7,200, including about 3,500 adult volunteers in 65 military communities throughout the . European come. Most of the members Are based in Germany Seninger Seninger said. The girl scouts and the . Military have a Long history of working together to help american girls in Europe Seninger said. When the defense department started sending families to Europe who service members in the mid-1950s, the girl scouts went along for the we made an agreement with the defense department that we would provide support to the families in Europe sent Ger said in return the military helps us with logistical support and some very limited financial  but As that support wanes in the face of the draw Down girl scouts Are looking to the East for More growth. The world association of girl guides and girl scouts girl scouts International counterpart has 112 chapters in at least 12 former soviet bloc countries. Some of the chapters Are operating out of garages and apartments in their Home countries with Little Money fewer training aids and practically no financial support from the local government Seninger said. But they Are finding ways to make things work she said. For example the romanian chapter has gone from one member in 1991 to More than 400 today. In some countries girl scouts and boy scouts Are merged to create one financially stable organization. While girl scouts in Eastern Europe Are on the verge of grand Success Seninger said the american Community overseas is still a priority. As Long As there Are dependents overseas and the military wants us Well stay Seninger said. Well stay until the last girl gets on the air plane  mar Kinkade saturday april 30,1994 the stars and stripes 15